Woven Thread
by awkward
Summary: My take on Rapunzel, a revised school asignment. Reviews appreciated, suggestions are even better. The rating is because I can't tell the difference between PG and G.
1. One

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The quiet murmur of serious voices filled the room. The gallery resembled a chessboard with its contrasting inhabitants dressed in basic black and white. A rare splash of colour came in the form of vivid red streaked walls, the latest work of an 'in' New York artist. With a glass of berry coloured liquid in hand, Lilja drifted among the masses.  
  
"Excuse me." Someone behind Lilja grabbed her arm. "Are you the Lilja from Deep Destinations?" A middle-aged woman, the enquirer, smiled warmly and reminded Lilja of a favorite aunt.  
  
"Have we met?" Lilja asked, though she already knew the answer. Her mother was an etiquette expert and her father a business tycoon; Lilja had been bred for networking parties and luncheons like this. Her mother would be proud of the warm while imposing tone of voice she had mastered.  
  
"No, but I've heard a lot about you, and I understand your new business was looking for suppliers of shipping equipment." The woman followed Lilja's example and used a formal voice, but it seemed as warm as her smile nonetheless. The two, speaking of Lilja's newest business venture, slowly made their way to a quieter corner of the room. The woman was Emily Saenz, who made and sold hand-braided custom ropes. Lilja expressed her surprise at such an unusual business. "It's a small market," she told Lilja, "but there's a market for any quality product."  
  
"Anyone with ships needs rope, but I really haven't had time to look into it yet." Lilja commented. She swallowed the last of her colourful drink and examined the empty glass. "I was just headed out to get some real food. If you joined me we could talk about this some more." Emily glanced at the caviar and fruit on the buffet and nodded, then the two agreed to head to a nearby café to talk business.  
  
Lilja, at seventeen, had moved out of her parent's home and cut off all ties with them. While in college she had worked at a travel agency, planning holidays for the wealthy. At twenty Lilja became the head of advertising in the company, the success of an internet campaign as the basis of her promotion. She owned a succession of travel companies over the next few years, and was soon supporting many of the local small businesses. Now twenty-five, Lilja's interest in sailing had developed into a new cruise ship company. Deep Destinations, as it was to be called, was almost ready to set sail.  
  
"I will definitely need some of your rope, but I have to ask the captains before I place an order." Lilja ended the business conversation with one of her favorite tricks. She left the deal open, and in her favor.  
  
They were comparing stories of their journeys abroad when a child on the other side of the room screeched. "I don't like it!" Lilja winced. She knew that she could never be a parent, and said so when Emily asked what was wrong.  
  
"Children drive me mad! I couldn't stand to have them running around my house, constantly making noise and being messy and interrupting my work." Lilja grimaced as the child cried out again.  
  
"Actually I can't stand children either. But I do have one boy of my own. It's a strange story actually, from when I was in Asia." Nervously, Emily looked around. "In China, there is a limit to the number of children a family can have. I met one pregnant woman, who promised me money to take her child. She thought the child would be a girl, which she would not want in a crowded orphanage. I didn't want the child, but she was desperate. Anyways, it was a boy, and I brought him back with me, but he has to stay hidden. I shouldn't be telling really, but I trust you, Lilja."  
  
Lilja gave a small smile, but later the burden of that trust would prove to be heavy. She paced in her office, thinking over her responsibility toward Emily. Normally, she would simply call the police. The law was being broken... But it's a human life! A voice inside of her cried out. If, God forbid, she had a child of her own, and had to give it away, what would she do? Let him stay in an already crowded orphanage, or send him to the 'Land of Opportunity'.  
  
In the end, curiosity overcame her. Lilja vowed to visit the boy, and see if he had an opinion. Then, she thought passionately, then I... we... will decide his fate.  
  
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**Author's note** I'd like to pre-apologize incase I got the China thing wrong. Let me know if you know otherwise, but I think I read that that's true. somewhere. Sorry again if it isn't. 


	2. Two

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The next day, Lilja had a very tense meeting with Emily about her order of rope. All morning her stomach had twisted in anticipation, and she had barely been able to eat. She felt wholly unlike herself, and in the end settled for furiously passing the time playing solitaire on her office computer.  
  
The meeting was uneventful, but that didn't stop Lilja from worrying the whole time. She was quite surprised that Emily didn't notice, but realized happily that they had only met the day before. When the meeting, to her relief, ended, Lilja sat at her desk for a few quiet moments, holding her breath. Then, afraid to make a sound, she slipped out of her office and followed Emily's elevator down to the ground floor. Lilja was lucky enough to see Emily passing through the large glass panelled doors just as the elevator doors opened.  
  
Lilja walked determinedly through faceless crowds of dark grey suits, careful to keep Emily's destinctly tan skirt-suit in the corner of her eye. At a bank Lilja kept her face hidden behind silk foiliage, pretending to be part of a particularily boring conversation on the state of politics in New Ginuea. She stalked between aisles of Zoodles and granola bars in a grocery store. In the park she lurked behind tall maples and elsem, sat on a lonely bench by the pond and slowly crept behind a baby's carriage on the walking path. Finally at dusk, her efforts were rewarded.  
  
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Ok, before you yell at me, I realized this is REALLY late, and short, but I figured some was better than none, and this is all I had. I'm also sorry about the semi-ominous last sentence. I want to make some major changes in the part after this, and I don't want to change view points mid-chapter, so it could take even longer. I'm sorry, but I'll have to leave you with this measly three paragraphs until I find some time and initiative. This could take a long time, or until I'm really bored during my spare. Teigr - Don't worry, I'm planning on it. Nikki - Sorry your name is long. Thank you so much... I re-read the begining and it's pretty much the way you said. The whole story is in a very pathetic, basic style that I'm trying to get over. I'm really going to work hard to better it, but once it's up I might take it down again. Miss Piratess - Thanks so much, praise is good. This is short too, so I doubt I get much critique but I'd like it.  
  
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	3. Three

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**Author's Note:** This story is so badly written. Sooo badly written. I don't want to do it, anymore... except this chapter is changing my mind. I was so set on not writing anything, and then I started this and it was so different, so much better. I like it much more, personally. When I'm done the whole story I might leave it up, but just as likely, I might take it down. Just know, this is entirely different from how it started, definitely in a good way.  
  
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Emily walked behind a tall house into a lush green garden. The full bushes with exotic red flowers gave Lilja a hiding spot, and peering through the leaves, she watched the yard. Emily looked around nervously, like a child taking a cookie when nobody is looking. Then she went to the wall of the house, and looked up.  
  
"San, throw down the rope!", she hissed. Lilja could barely hear from the bushes. Anticipation clutched at her stomach and she leaned forward, trying not to snap a twig or rustle the leaves. A think rope plummeted from a high window, landing on the ground with the softest imaginable thud. Emily easily climbed the rope and heaved herself through the dark window.  
  
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Lilja waited in the bushes for hours. The damp chill of evening settled into her clothes, but she only waited shivering. She was about to leave when a light went on in the high window. Watching attentively, Lilja saw a silhouette creep out of the frame, down the wall and out of the garden. Still she waited.  
  
Lilja felt her lids becoming heavy, and she knew sleep would take her if she didn't move soon. She decided that Emily was gone for good now, and she slipped out of the green shelter. Luckily for her, the rope was still hanging down the wall. She placed her hands on the worn threads, old but strong. With careful steps she pulled herself up the wall. The rough brick scraping her jeans sounded louder than a Super bowl crowd in the otherwise silent yard. Out of breath, Lilja could barely climb the last few steps to the window.  
  
The room was black, and Lilja froze, afraid of unseen objects, or more specifically the noises they would make. She took shallow breaths, and heard faint breathing from across the room.  
  
Walking with extreme care, Lilja approached the sound. She ran into... something, at one point, but simply moved around it and continued on her path, her arms extended to check for obstacles. This saved her from two more collisions, before she reached a bed. Suddenly she realized she had no idea what to do, how to wake up the sleeping boy.  
  
Gently, Lilja felt around for his shoulder. She found the warm corner of his body, and squeezed faintly. The boy slept through the light pressure, and she gently shook him. A sigh made her stop, and she felt the boy stretch.  
  
"Emily?" The tiny voice nearly brought her to tears, calling for the only mother left to him. She wondered what it was like to be San, in an attic all of his life. Was it truly better for him than his home would have been, with his true parents?  
  
"I'm not Emily, San, but I need you to trust me. I'm a friend of hers, and I need to talk to you." Lilja blinked as a bright light flicked on and her eyes began to water. She looked at the scared boy's face, anxiously looking at her. Would he trust her?  
  
"I... guess... but Emily would be mad. She's always saying 'don't talk to strangers'." San looked guilty at his defiance, but there was still trust in his eyes. Lilja smiled and almost hugged the small boy in her relief, but managed to hold herself back.  
  
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